Alicia Keys recently told the London Evening Standard how much she applauds Rihanna’s style and “unapologetic” attitude. But Keys also shared her hopes that the songstress will not fall victim to the music industry’s exploitation.
“It’s such a tricky, crazy business, and when people are a little bit younger than me, I’m always hoping that their soul is good ’cause it can be such a soulless space,” Keys said.
The 32-year-old singer says she worries whether Rihanna is surrounded by people who truly have her best interest in mind.
“Who’s really loving you and making sure that you’re ok? Because everybody wants to make sure you’re ok when they can get something from you, and they’re getting a percentage from you. But they don’t technically care if you’re ok,” she said. “They just want to make sure you can stand so you can go to work. So naturally I am always thinking about people and hoping that in this very soulless place they can find completion.”
Despite not knowing Rihanna personally, Keys says she hopes the young artist has people watching out for her and feels comfortable enough to speak up for herself. “I don’t know her personally like that. But I do know there’s a lot of good people at Roc Nation and I do think that as we all get older, you start to be able to say, ‘No, I’m not gonna take that from you any more,'” Keys elaborated.
Concerns aside, Keys expressed how proud she is of Rihanna, who dropped seven albums in just eight years. “I’m proud of Rihanna,” she said. “Because it’s not easy to stand up in this crazy world and make it and keep going and try new things. And find your way through it.”
